With heaps of experience as an athlete, a coach, a parent of athletes and athletic director, Allen Jefferson has seen prep sports from a dizzying range of angles. Jefferson, Arlington High’s AD the past nine years, said one of the keys to his current job is being an excellent listener. But now it’s time for Jefferson to speak up.
Michael O’Leary / The Herald
Inside look: Jefferson grew up in southwest Washington and competed in basketball, football and track for the Camas High Papermakers. He attended the University of Washington and came to Arlington High 18 years ago to teach history and coach boys basketball. This is his 29th year in education.
Reaping rewards: The biggest perks of being an AD, Jefferson said, are watching constructive, life-molding interactions between student-athletes and coaches, and seeing young people mature. “It’s much more fun to watch (student-athletes) grow by winning,” he said, “but sometimes we watch them grow by losing too.”
Memories: Jefferson cited three favorite memories from his time as Arlington’s AD. 1) Moving to a new campus in the 2003-04 school year. Jefferson said it was extremely rewarding “to see the eyes of the kids, for them all of the sudden to have pride in where they are.” For the first time student-athletes who previously had to travel by bus to alternate locations had on-site access to tennis courts and baseball/softball diamonds. 2) Arlington’s 2005 football team, which went 10-2, reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals and sent off retiring coach John Boitano in style. “It was a special group of young men,” Jefferson said. 3) Star girls basketball guards Kayla Burt and Randi Richardson. Jefferson said he was privileged to watched Burt – Arlington’s all-time leading scorer who last month ended her career at the University of Washington – and Richardson, a senior averaging 17.7 points, excel for the Eagles.
Sports idol: Jefferson grew up a huge Red Sox fan and his favorite player was outfielder Carl Yastrzemski, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee. Yastrzemski, or “Yaz,” was an All-Star 14 times and was the American League MVP in 1967 – his epic Triple Crown season (.326 batting average, 121 runs batted in and 44 home runs).
Favorite sports movies: “Hoosiers” (1986) and “Rudy” (1993). Jefferson said he loves inspirational films, especially “Hoosiers,” the highly acclaimed basketball movie starring Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper. “I’m kind of an emotional guy,” Jefferson said. “I’ve seen (‘Hoosiers’) 30 times and I still cry.”
I wish I knew how to: Play golf well. “That sport’s frustrating. I am terrible,” said Jefferson, noting that he simply doesn’t have enough time to practice. About six years ago Jefferson earned an unexpected nickname when peers caught him using the wrong ball during an athletic directors’ golf tournament at The Creek at Qualchan in Spokane. Jefferson lost a half dozen balls early in the round, and after losing his final ball he decided to play one that he found – a bright pink ball – in a bush. The other ADs immediately dubbed Jefferson “Pinky” and some still call him that today.
Mike Cane, Herald writer
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